Blue Heart Journey: Bangkok, Thailand

It was that time of year again – the Region Conference for the Detachment Commanders. At the end of August our Region Conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand. Aside from the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, the Region Conference is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year for Marines and their families who are a part of the Marine Security Guard (MSG) Program. It’s always fun to meet other spouses in your assigned region and for the Marines to be around their peers and senior leaders. Douglas and I weren’t as thrilled this time due to arriving in Vietnam just three weeks prior to the start of the conference. We were beginning to settle into Hanoi and relax from the previous months of traveling we had done. But ready or not, we were going to Bangkok!

As a note to those unfamiliar with this program, there are no bases when it comes to embassies overseas. At each post, the assigned Detachment Commander is (usually) the most senior Marine there. As well, there are no other military spouses such as those one would find at Marine Corps bases. There are overseas military bases, but in the MSG program, Marines are only assigned to US embassies and consulates overseas. Embassies are run by Department of State officials, while bases are run by Department of Defense officials. Resources available to service members and their families typically found on Marine bases are not found on embassy compounds. Also, the highest ranking person in charge of a base is the assigned General. The highest person in charge of the United States embassy in a given country is the assigned Ambassador (or Consular General in the case of a consulate). Hopefully this helps to understand the difference between a Marine Corps base and an embassy / consulate and why Marines and their families greatly look forward to seeing one another at these conferences.

The conference began on a Monday and ended on a Friday. We went there a few days early to give Douglas the opportunity to see Bangkok as a tourist. There is no time allotted for the Marines to be tourists during the conference, which is understandable since the gathering is not intended to be a vacation. We arrived the weekend before the conference began. To maintain the privacy of operations I will not share our hotel information. I will say the hotel was absolutely beautiful; it had outstanding customer service, great food, an array of excellent amenities and was conveniently situated in the city.

We awoke early Saturday to visit the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market. It consists of over 15,000 stalls of merchandise. There is no other place one will find such a variety of items for incredibly cheap prices. Bartering prices is even recommended. One can start as low as 1/3 of the asking price. The only vendors who do not barter are those with prices listed. We got there around 9:30 a.m. I wish we had followed the advice of others and arrived earlier in the morning. The market was flooded with people! And the heat was almost unbearable. The earlier you go, the less people there are and the lower the temperature will be. I didn’t think my clothing could stick to my body anymore than it was but as the day continued I began to feel like my shorts and shirt were painted onto my skin. The trip was well worth the heat and crowds though. Douglas and I brought our small carry-on suitcases to avoid carrying several bags from our purchases. It was also convenient because the aisles inside the market were quite tight, making it difficult for individuals to walk through with just themselves. I could only imagine what type of squeeze it would have been with numerous bags on our shoulders.

Chatuchak is also known for its delicious food. It is a good spot to get authentic Thai food for very reasonable prices. Douglas and I visited several food stands and must have eaten a full meal from them all combined for no more than $5 each. We also saw a few sights that were not so appealing but at any market we must prepare ourselves to see many different animals with their insides on display for purchase. I still have not adjusted to that after visiting several markets in various countries. The time at Chatuchak was absolutely great! It was indeed well worth the trip and much-needed shower Douglas and I took after we left.

Funniest moment of the day - while walking on a bridge to enter the train station, his hat flew off his head and onto the street. And this guy actually wanted to run down there in the middle of traffic to try and claim it! Hilarious!

the entire market looked like this - hoards of people

For obvious reasons we had to get a picture of this t-shirt.

Authentic Thai dessert

this combination of cold sticky rice, fresh mangoes, and coconut sauce is mouthwatering delicious!

Each chicken skewer was approximately .32 cents each. I lost count of how many we consumed!

Nothing like pure pomegranate juice

Crack it open and you have coconut water....

As healthy as coconut water is, I just could not drink it. After one sip I was done! Douglas, however, loved it!

Saturday night we went to the theater to see Siam Niramit. It’s a spectacular show that displays Thai history and culture on stage. The show takes place in the world’s largest theater and included some the most amazing stage effects I have ever seen.

Before the show, Douglas and I came upon a small pre-show outside the theater. Several Thai dancers gathered in a large circle performing traditional dances in their costumes. Within moments I was kindly being grabbed in by one of the dancers to be her partner. Caught completely off-guard, I smiled and joined the group, having fun while learning some of their traditional dance moves. Of course, Douglas gladly got photos and video of me enjoying myself. It was so humid out there; I worked up more of a sweat from doing my two little moves the entire time than the dancers did putting on the actual show!

We planned to spend the day Sunday sightseeing by the water. Early in the morning we took the Sky Train to Saphan Taksin station stop. From there we caught the Chao River Express Boat to first visit the temples. It costs 150 Baht ($4.81) per person for unlimited rides on the boat all day. Our first stop was a Buddhist temple. There are thousands of Buddhist temples, or wats, in Thailand. We narrowed down our options by electing to visit the most popular wats in Thailand. Wat Arun – The Temple of Dawn which sits on the Chao Phraya River – is one of the most noticeable wats along the river. Nearly everyone that visits Wat Arun goes there to climb the steep steps around the temple. Douglas and I made it to the top; however, it was not the easiest climb with tight jeans on. It felt like I was going to bust a stitch in my crotch on the way up. Next time I will be sure to wear something more appropriate for the activity.

Wat Arun - The Temple of Dawn

On his way to the top...

on my way down....it's advised to walk up and down the stairs sideways to get your entire foot on the step

view from the top of the temple

After leaving there we decided to go for a private boat tour up the Chao River. One of the best ways to see the city is by boat. The further up the river you go, the more you will see of what typical Bangkok looks like. So much of the city is now modernized. Before the many upgrades and construction Bangkok was once a floating city. Everything was done by boat because every place was off the water. The boat tour was 90 minutes long and inexpensive. We even bartered the price with the vendor. It was shocking to see how many places you could barter prices. The boat we rode in reminded me of the gondola we rode while in Venice, Italy. This one was called a longtail. I was taken aback to see how many Thai people still live in the khlongs (canals) we went through. It is very foreign for me to think of getting in a boat to go to the grocery store, market, shopping, or to do anything! We spotted children playing in the river water, having a blast. Though they were having fun, it definitely makes me appreciate having access to a clean pool.

long-tail boat

Impressive!!!


house off the water

This man approached our boat selling an array of fresh fruit

Kids along the river very happy to see tourist pass by

who needs a pool when you can swim in the river?

very nice house along the river

grocery store on the river

About an hour out from the main part of the river was the Floating Market. There are a few floating markets in Thailand. We went to Taling Chan Floating Market. It has fewer boats than other markets but just enough to fit this category. In the market there were all kinds of dishes being cooked, many sweets and treats to buy, and tons or beautiful flowers to choose from.

not a pleasant sight to see - hundreds of fish going after one piece of bread. It just doesn't seem right!

Side-view of floating market

this little boy assisted in pulling our boat into the dock....

chicken satay - popular Thai dish - juicy chicken marinated and grilled to perfection!

Once the tour was over we went back to the pier to catch the Chao River Express Boast to another pier. We then ventured to see the Grand Palace which is known to be the city’s most famous landmark. It’s a spectacular sight! Due to our time constraint we were unable to tour inside the palace. The next time we visit Bangkok, we will do the full tour.

It was incredibly hot that day. The high humidity did not help either. As we had already spent half the day touring various places I began to feel very uncomfortable in my jeans. At this point in the day my jeans were pasted to my skin. It was like walking around in a wet pair of jeans all day. Yuck! I noticed several local Thais and foreigners wearing loose fitting pants. The material is ultrathin and designed with patterns of elephants. They are very popular in Thailand. A few times I thought to myself, I need to be wearing something like that! But then I took another look at its style and knew that it was not for me. There was nothing cute about them. They looked like something to be worn around the house. As hours passed I started to spend more time thinking about how my jeans were beginning to get in the way of my enjoyment. I said, “Screw it!” I bought a pair of the pants, went to the public bathroom (also known as the water closet) and changed into my new $5.00 pants that may not have been cute but they were super comfortable! Style lost and my sanity won.

the things one will do for comfort!

Only a few minutes from the Grand Palace was another temple – Wat Pho. This temple is famed for its giant reclining Buddha that is 46 meters long covered in gold. Before entering the temple we removed our shoes, a customary act when going inside any temple. It is a good idea to always have socks available in case you are wearing sandals. I hate being barefoot in public places. The size of the Buddha in person was unreal and overwhelming.

A tuk-tuk

on our way to the next wat in the tuk-tuk

In the background is the Grand Palace

In this picture it is very clear how hot it was. I almost look like I just got out of a pool!

Reclining Buddha

Donation buckets for the monks

As we went to put our shoes back on it began pouring down rain. Most downpours usually last a few minutes. Not this one. It went on to rain for more than 30 minutes. Crowds of people took cover under the entrance of the temple. Even the Thai people relocated indoors during the shower. When the rain finally started to slow down we made a run for the pier. The next boat back to the main pier was scheduled to leave in a few minutes. By this time it was later in the afternoon and the boats were swamped with people. Once we arrived to the pier and caught the train back to the hotel, a very long shower was calling our names!

That night we ate dinner at a local Thai restaurant called Thanying. I found this restaurant on my go-to site for all things-to-do when touring another country, tripadvisor.com. This is a great site with mostly accurate reviews of establishments. Tripadvisor.com and booking.com have not failed me yet. This restaurant was tucked away on a side street that I would have never chosen to walk down on my own. I assume most of its business comes from reviews such as the one I saw online or by word of mouth. The venue was small but elegant. The service and staff were superb and the food was even better. I highly recommend a visit to Thanying if you ever find yourself in Bangkok wanting to eat traditional Thai food.

options for dessert spread on platter - you get to see what it looks like before purchasing

During the rest of the week I planned to hang out with fellow MSG spouses and travel around in the city. My entire week was booked! However, my plans came to a screeching halt when I found myself sick on Tuesday.

I made an appointment for a Thai massage Tuesday afternoon. I’ve never experienced a Thai massage before, though I heard much about this yoga-like massage. You are fully clothed in a loose garment and the masseuse stretches your body in positions you may have not thought possible for your body. I had a talk with my masseuse and informed her there is a limit to my flexibility. My legs will only bend but so far! I had an hour-long foot massage and a 90 minute body massage. The foot massage was fantastic! At least I assume it was since I was asleep the entire time. The Thai massage was not as great – no fault to the masseuse. I felt my body get very warm and achy. Something just didn’t feel right. By the time I was done my body was so warm I developed a fever. After leaving the spa I headed to the hotel and climbed into my bed for the rest of the day. I would have never guessed that is where I would remain for the remainder of the trip. My symptoms continued to get worse over the next three days. Eventually I found myself in the local medical unit at the US Embassy in Bangkok. I was then diagnosed with strep throat and an infection. Since I was contagious it was a good thing I did not try to fight my body and explore Bangkok with the rest of the spouses. I would have hated to get them or their kids sick. It is absolutely no fun being sick while on vacation, but it was nice to be sick while at a great hotel. Always an upside!

Lavana Spa

Tea and wet cloth brought to me before the massage

Foot-bath area

Massage room

This was brought out to me after the massage, but at that point I was too sick to know what this was...

The latter half of our trip did not go as planned, but we had a wonderful time nonetheless. I felt terrible that Douglas missed out on seeing more of Thailand after he got off work. Instead of hanging out with the group, he chose to stay in the room with sick ol’ me. I guess I could have complained for many reasons. But when I really thought about it, no complaints came to my mind because I was in Thailand; sick, yes, but with my husband by my side.